Bearcats plan to keep having fun

Cronin's fondness for team only gets greater

Every coach dreams of having a team like the one Mick Cronin has constructed this season at the University of Cincinnati.

There are more talented and more physically imposing squads in America, but it would be difficult to find one that functions more smoothly as a unit than the Bearcats. Make no mistake, Cronin appreciates what he has and is determined to make the most of it.

"It's been tremendous fun for me," Cronin said.

The UC coach said before Thursday's 63-58 win over No. 22 Connecticut that he has begun to count down the number of games remaining in the regular season, not because he can't wait for the season to end, but because he wants to savor each game he has left with seniors Sean Kilpatrick, Justin Jackson and Titus Rubles.

The countdown stands at seven, with the Bearcats set to face SMU at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in freshly-renovated Moody Coliseum. The Mustangs, coached by Hall of Famer Larry Brown, are 18-5 overall, 7-3 in the American Athletic Conference. They've won seven of their last eight games and are unbeaten at home in 12 games. UC started conference play against the Mustangs on New Year's Day with a 74-65 victory at Fifth Third Arena.

SMU leads the American in rebounding margin at plus-7.3 and in field goal percentage defense at 36.8 percent. Its top scorers are Nic Moore at 13.7 points per game and Markus Kennedy, who averages 12.2 points and 7.4 rebounds.

No. 7 UC (22-2, 11-0) is off to its best start in conference play since the 1999-00 team finished 16-0 in Conference USA. The Bearcats have won 15 straight overall and have risen from an unranked team during the preseason to one of the most compelling stories in college basketball.

The Bearcats have been remarkably resilient finding ways to win, displaying especially strong resolve in the closing minutes of hotly contested games. They're 4-0 against teams currently ranked in the Top 25.

The ability to rise to the occasion with the game on the line, Cronin said, is the result of an attitude - he calls it team ego - that it doesn't matter how victory is achieved as long as it's the end result.

"That's what I'm trying to beat into our heads," Cronin said. "We can't let statistics affect us or individual play affect us. Right now, we have tremendous focus. Everyone is worried about getting the win more than their own stats. If we stay that way, we will have success. That's the biggest challenge when coaching team sports. It's tough getting everyone focused on winning, which is why I'm enjoying this season so much."

Kilpatrick, who has averaged 25.3 points and 6.8 rebounds over his last four games, is more often than not the UC player who leads the way, but he's the first to acknowledge that he has plenty of help, not only from his senior colleagues but from role players such as junior point guard Ge'Lawn Guyn, who has become more assertive in recent games.

Guyn, who averages 4.8 points, contributed seven points with five rebounds and four assists in UC's win over UConn and hit several key shots down the stretch. He scored eight points in UC's win against South Florida and six against Louisville. He has made 5 of his last 10 3-point shots.

"He's been real tough," Kilpatrick said. "G has been the point guard that we need right now. He is not putting too much pressure on himself and he's really playing well."

Cronin credits Guyn's improvement to simply gaining game experience.

"We need him down the stretch," Cronin said.

Freshman forward Jermaine Lawrence, who had been out since Jan. 4 with a turf toe injury, returned Thursday against UConn. He scored only one point with one rebound in nine minutes, but showed no ill effects from the injury. ■

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Bearcats plan to keep having fun

Every coach dreams of having a team like the one Mick Cronin has constructed this season at the University of Cincinnati. There are more talented and more physically imposing squads in America, but